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By Art Dlugach

It has come to my attention that the lead paragraph in last week’s chronicle of news was not easy to understand. This was strange to me considering the Shakespeare Society had approved it.

Wishing always to improve, here’s this week’s version for you to digest: THE FOOTBALL JACKETS PLAYED WELL, VERY WELL, AGAINST A FINE SOMERSET TEAM, AUGUST 19; A VAST IMPROVEMENT WAS DISPLAYED IN CONTRAST TO THE SONORA SCRIMMAGE. THE TEAM IS READY FOR COMANCHE, AUGUST 27. Sorry about the shouting. Is everyone happy and ready to proceed?

"I was real pleased," said a near-ecstatic head coach, David Yeager. "We hustled to the ball and brought some hits." It’s hard to convey on simple old newsprint that this Clark Kent was Knute Rockne-like as he delivered a pep talk to a couple of reporters, who’ve never played the game.

Defensive coordinator Brad Harman was his usual self: pumped up. "I saw a lot of things on tape," Harman disclosed the morning after the Somerset-in-the-Sunset match, "that occurred Thursday night that were not there against Sonora. Nine or 10 hats were on the ball; it was nice to see our motor running."

So, what caused such a stir? Llano opened on defense, and the Bulldogs did not progress past midfield in their 15-20 plays. (If it’s fourth down and long-enough, the offense, in a scrimmage, returns to its 30-yard line to begin anew.) Connor Chauncy came up with an interception; Davis Hill had a sack, and Clay Tarter produced a tough tackle after a one-yard gain.

Who the heck is Somerset? Well, Sonny Detmer is the coach of the San Antonio-area school. Yes, that Detmer. He coached his quarterback-sons, Ty and Koy, who played in the NFL, and Ty took along the Heisman Trophy he earned at Brigham Young in 1990. The Bulldog QB now is Sonny’s grandson, but 6-foot, 4-inch Steve Dorman is not the son of either brother, but the son of his daughter. "He should beat both of them by about a thousand yards passing in high school when he’s done," the coach said.

Back at Llano Stadium, the Jackets got the ball, and Justin Saverance and Alex Greer began running through the Somerset defense, and the march got all the way to the 35 of the visitors. No touchdown was scored, but before the Black and Orange had concluded its turn, quarterback Preston Rabb scampered away from trouble and gained 19 yards.

"We showed it’ll be a good year if we come out every day ready to play," Saverance declared. "We’re ready for whatever defense is thrown at us; we’ll take ‘em on helmet to helmet."

"We want to be 50-50, passing and running," offensive coordinator Kelly Gilbert explained, "but we saw we could run on Somerset."

The rushing continued later in the scrimmage, as Saverance raced for a 20-yard advance, and Greer went from the ‘Dogs’ 19 to the four. The drive ended at the three. Llano was trailing 6-0 after all the exchanges of the ball, and then a normal quarter—15 minutes in length, regular-rules’ stoppage of the clock—was played.

Midway through the period, Greer converted a fourth and four with a seven-yard run to the 12. He then burst through for the TD.

"The pocket was collapsing," the junior fullback recalled, "and a linebacker was about to nail me. I got a great block from Kenneth Smith, stepped outside and scored." (7-7 was the final of the one-quarter struggle.)

"The boys definitely felt the pressure after Sonora, no doubt" Yeager mentioned. "They had their heads down, and they wanted to show a home crowd they could do better."

"We came out with high intensity," cornerback Raven Herron asserted, "and each day it gets higher."

Rabb didn’t figure in a host of big plays, but he was sufficient with his arm, and the passing threat is a major part of the offense. Sonny Detmer was impressed: "He looks good throwing, and he has a lot of poise. He’ll go some place and play next year."

"Our kids came to practice this week with a purpose to get better," Harman related. "There was total improvement across the board." He added: "Clay Tarter and Michael Rusche did real good jobs at safety; so did Chauncy and Rhett Brooks; there was good linebacker play from Sterling Jameson, Greer, and Hill. Herron was fine at cornerback, and CB Justin Wyatt is improving. Ratliff, Smith, Hill, and Berry won praise from offensive-line coach Chad Branham.

"The defensive-line guys pressured their quarterback: Jordan Johnson, Zach Berry, Travis Lawrence, Jordan Cavness, and Matthew Ratliff, who’s getting time on both lines now."

"This was a totally different team from the first scrimmage," Greer insisted. "The coaches challenged us, and we took it to ‘em. Comanche had better be scared." Everyone understand?